Red Roar
by Amazingusername
Summary: When Mapleshade realizes that the Dark Forest has failed, she makes a bold and reckless decision. Time displacement. Why Didn't anyone think of this before? Now, Jayfeather, Lionblaze and Dovewing are stuck in the past in the old forest, right after Firestar has just received his 9 lives. The three now must find a way back home to fight the battle with before it's to late.
1. Prologue

"Brokenstar is dead!"

Mapleshade looked up, her ears twitching. She blinked, confusion and bewilderment seizing her. That couldn't be right. She must have heard wrong.

" _Retreat!"_

No!

All that planning, all that plotting couldn't have been in vain! She yowled her frustration and rage, the sound so loud it tore her throat raw. Fury boiled in her veins like hot lighting.

Her revenge wasn't complete, they couldn't retreat now!

Dark pelted cats raced around her, trying to get away. _The Dark Forest was fleeing._

No!

She grit her teeth, she hated the clans. How could they have lost!?

Mapleshade stumbled as a dark pelt slammed into her while trying to flee. She regained her footing swiftly enough to yowl at the cat that had accidently barreled into her.

"Darkstripe!"

Darkstripe whirled around, his eyes glowing with a sickly light of fear. "Mapleshade!" He snarled, "What are you _doing!?_ Run!"

"Why are we running because Brokenstar is dead?" The ginger and white cat felt desperation building up inside of her, it was swelling like a disgusting, infected wound. "We can still fight! We are endless!"

"You're a fool!" He hissed, "We can't fight without a leader."

"Someone else can lead," She shrieked, "It can't end like this!"

"It just did." The dark tabby spat. "Now _hurry!_ You're falling behind!"

Without another word Darkstripe ran ahead, his pelt being swallowed out and mixed with all the other cats fleeing. Mapleshade's heart dropped.

She _**refused**_ it to allow it to end like this, there had to be another way to win this fight! She growled a low growl that rumbled deep in her throat. Of course she won't let it end like this. She was Mapleshade, she wasn't going to give up this easily.

Mapleshade then ran, she ran to catch up with the patrol of Dark Forest warriors.

She also began to think.

If only the three weren't born. If only they weren't among the clans when the battle started, if only she could go back in time-

Mapleshade blinked.

Time.

As she ran amongst her clan mates, a wicked, reckless and desperate plan began to take place and blossom in her mind.

She brushed past the Dark forest members, her paws barely skimming the damp forest ground. She had to hurry. She had a plan to act out.

As Mapleshade ran she felt the soft springy grass under paw morph into dead fungus infected ground.

The whole scenery changed into a familiar murky forest. They were back.

Exhilaration pumped hard in her, and a terrible, evil smirk formed on her lips. She could taste the metallic flavor of blood on her teeth. She then knew there would be even more blood on her lips soon.

"Don't do it."

Mapleshade spun around, alarmed, and the fur on her spine lifting, then she relaxed. "Oh, it's only you," She scoffed. "I'd like to see you stop me."

Darkstripe scowled fiercely, then turned around stormed away to join the rest of the clan in mourning their loss. Mapleshade thought she heard in mumble the words, "Why do I even try?"

She then began running, she was running toward Starclan's territory. While it was something she would never like to do, she needed a very important item from Starclan to work her plan out.

Time displacement

Why didn't anyone think of this before?

As she snuck around the territory she allowed herself another smile. Oh yes, now the 3 would have never been present in the battle. Or this forest in fact. It was going to be perfect.


	2. Chapter 1

Long streams of sunlight warmed Lionblaze's coat.

It was weak but determined, like all the first rays of dawn. It was like a second coat on his skin.

He shifted slightly enjoying the precious moment of peace. The soft moss under him embraced him, and he snuggled in deeper, as if he could make himself one with his bedding.

"Lionblaze, you lazy furball!" A voice made him stir, "The sun's been up for a while now! How along are you planning to sleep?"

"Mmnngh" He groaned, blinking his amber eyes open, "Only for eternity…"

He saw a gray paw prod is side with his peripheral vision. It was a firm nudge.

Lionblaze sighed and hauled himself up, "Did you have to wake me so early Cinderheart?"

Cinderheart blinked her glittering blue eyes, the color of warm Greenleaf sky, "Early?" She purred, her voice was sweet and teasing, "It's well past dawn!"

Lionblaze glanced outside. _Oh it definitely is._ "I have no idea what you're talking about." His jaws opened, letting out a massive yawn.

Cinderheart rolled her eyes, but Lionblaze saw her whiskers twitching in amusement. "Whatever you say," She mewed and strolled out of the warrior's den.

Lionblaze wanted to go after her, but he took his time getting up, after a long night's sleep his head was slightly ringing and the whole body sore.

It was the day after he and Dovepaw had gotten back from fighting the beavers, after long rounds of congratulations, he went to bed exhausted and sore, under the agreement that he and Dovepaw would have the day off the next day.

Lionblaze padded out of the warrior's den blinking his slightly blurred vision back to focus.

Then it hit him.

A feeling of cold dread traveled up his belly and made his fur stand of edge, it was like the feeling had been dumped on him like rain water the moment he left the safety of his den. It was cold, unpleasant, and made him feel like a piece of prey just waiting to be pounced on. Something was wrong, very, very wrong.

Lionblaze glanced around camp, nothing particularly looked wrong, it was a normal sunny day, with the morning air cool and slightly damp on his muzzle. ThunderClan warriors walked about, and if he strained his ears he could hear a hunting patrol returning back to camp.

He could hear mewls of Poppyfrost's kits from the nursery, and the stern rebuke of Hazeltail as Blossompaw refused to share her vole with her brother.

Nothing looked particularly wrong or strange.

Yet…Lionblaze knew something wasn't right, very fiber in his body urged him, warned him, and screamed at him, something was very, very wrong.

Heavy fear clung to his pelt like morning dew.

 _Get a hold of yourself!_ He thought, _you a warrior! Be reasonable, what could be causing this feeling?_

As he was mulling over it, small, pale gray she-cat ran to him, her tail fluffed out, and blinking her round cerulean eyes.

"Lionblaze!"

The cat in question paused mid-thought, and turned around to the cat who called his name.

"Dovepaw!" He meowed, surprised at her appearance.

His apprentice was standing, with her whole body tucked tightly together, and her tail curled around her flank. Her fur stuck up and bristled in every direction, making her look almost twice her size. But her most startling feature were her eyes, they were round and wide like 2 tiny moons, flashing with terror.

In other words she looked exactly how he felt.

"Did you…?" He asked, lowering his voice into a quiet whisper, "Get that feeling too?"

"Yes!" She gasped, "Do you think…Jayfeather did too?"

"Let's find out." He said, his mouth stretched into a grimace.

Lionblaze padded toward the Medicine cat's den, with Dovepaw following her on his left. He lashed his tail from side to side. He refused to let his fear show.

"Jayfeather!" He yowled as he reached his den.

"Great StarClan," Jayfeather hissed as he walked out of his den, his eyes were narrowed into slits and his fur was bristling slightly, "Keep your voice down!"

"Did you get that weird feeling?" Dovepaw asked in a low anxious whisper.

"Yes!" He snapped, "But don't talk about it here, let's go out into the forest."

Lionblaze paused to glance into his brother's eyes, they were sharp with fear. _So this feeling has to do something with the three._ He clawed at the ground, ripping out chunks of soil, _what could it be?_

"Come on Lionblaze!" Jayfeather's voice snapped his train of thought apart, "Don't just stand there! Let's go!"

"Oh-sorry, I'm coming!" Lionblaze turned around, and noticed that Dovepaw and Jayfeather were already some way ahead of him.

Slightly embarrassed, he picked up his pace, his paws thudding against the earth under paw.

"Honestly…" He heard Jayfeather mutter under his breath.

Choosing to ignore his comment Lionblaze adverted his gaze to the scenery around them as they passed through the camp exit. The trees were lush and green and the sunlight spread through the treetops speckling them with colors of gold. The air was fresh with the scent of morning dew.

All too well did he remember the dry, parched wind in the air and cracked earth under his paws. Lionblaze didn't miss it.

"So Jayfeather," Dovepaw started when they all stopped under the shade of a large tree, " _What was that?"_

"Do you think I know?" The gray tabby snapped, "I'm just as oblivious as you two."

Dovepaw's face fell, the expression on her visage darkening slightly. Lionblaze felt a surge of sympathy for her. He opened his mouth to say something in her defense, but Jayfeather spoke up again.

"Things happen," His voice was suddenly soft and calm like the surface of the lake, "Things we don't understand, and we get confused and angry."

Lionblaze grinned slightly ,understanding at once what his brother was trying to say. He tapped Dovepaw's shoulder with his tail and whispered loudly the words, "In other words he says sorry."

Dovepaw's eyes brightened slightly.

"Back to topic," Jayfeather said, his voice hardening again like flint, "This feeling is warning us about something, what should we do?"

"Tell Firestar!" Dovepaw said immediately.

Lionblaze shuddered, as a cold ripple of fear when up his spine. "I don't know, but I think we should do something quick, this feeling is getting worse"

"Oh I wonder why." A new voice purred, sickeningly sweet.

Immediately Jayfeather and Dovepaw crouched together, and Lionblaze jumped in front of them, a warning growl rumbling deep in his throat.

The owner of the voice padded, deliberately, slowly up to them. "Did I frighten you?" She whimpered in mock hurt, her voice was dripping with poisoned honey.

Lionblaze studied the cat, she was ginger and white with amber eyes that reminded him of the sickly glow of rotting fungus. She was not larger than him, but Lionblaze could see the solid muscle on her frame. The cold feeling of dread became colder.

"You are trespassing on ThunderClan Territory," Lionblaze stated flatly, trying to hide is fear, "Leave at once."

The ginger and white cat laughed, the sound so loud and strange it chilled his bones. It was similar to the sound of the crow's last cry

 _This cat is mad._ He thought.

She flashed them a grin, with a jolt, Lionblaze realized that they were stained with blood. Behind him Dovepaw gave a frightened whimper.

"I was once ThunderClan" She snarled, her tone of voice switching from sickly sweet to cold with hate.

"Leave before I chase you off!" Lionblaze roared, arching his back and lashing his tail.

"You don't frighten me, little warrior."

Then everything exploded.

At least that's what Lionblaze felt, the ground underneath him swayed and a loud whining sound filled the air.

Everything flashed brilliant white and Lionblaze shut his eyes. The world around him began warping and shifting. In the distance he heard Dovepaw screaming in fear and Jayfeather yowling at them to stick together.

The high pitched whining sound became louder, and the warping and shifting became faster. Nausea and pain exploded inside of him. Then everything faded to black.


	3. Chapter 2

_Am I dead?_ Dovepaw thought.

 _I hope not._

Dovepaw was unconscious, and she knew it. It was like floating in darkness, solid and warm darkness, and she vaguely remembered that she should have been doing something important.

A rough tongue rasped over her face. _Huh?_

All around her, she felt her body beginning to wake, she could feel the hard but damp earth she was laying on, and the warm rasp of a tongue on her body, grooming her fur the wrong way, to keep her warm, she supposed.

She groaned, trying to regain her senses back.

"Jayfeather," A familiar voice purred loudly in relief, "I think she's waking up."

Dovepaw heard rustling and paw steps. She then felt confused. Where was she?

"Dovepaw," A second voice spoke slowly and almost softly towards her, "Can you hear me?"

Then everything rushed back to her.

She gasped and bolted upright, her eyes shot open. "The cat! That weird feeling! The big flash!"

"Easy now Dovepaw," Lionblaze's voice had a comforting rumble to it. She turned to face him, a million questions right at the tip of her tongue. Lionblaze caught on quickly. "Before you ask, no, I don't have any idea where we are."

Dovepaw groaned. That was her biggest question.

"You're lucky that your alive," Jayfeather sighed, "Calm yourself."

Dovepaw turned around and drank in her surroundings, they were in some type of forest, the weak, pale but determined sunlight illuminated the air around her, and the ground and leafless trees were littered with snow glittering in the light of the sun. _Snow_.

"It's supposed to be Newleaf!" She cried, her fur beginning to bristle in alarm

"Dovepaw, _calm yourself!_ " This time Jayfeather's voice had astern edge to it. Dovepaw turned around to face Jayfeather, embarrassment flooding her cheeks, "Sorry" She mumbled, forcing her fur flat.

Lionblaze sighed, "What are we supposed to do now?" his tail swished nervously from side to side, and anxiety seemed to have crept into his voice.

Dovepaw felt a sharp pang of hunger ripple through her belly. Ignoring it, she turned to Lionblaze. "What did that cat do to us?"

"Maybe she moved us here." Lionblaze suggested lightly.

"Hah," Jayfeather scoffed, "How could that one cat move all three of use some where this far away?"

A long pause followed his words. Jayfeather was right. If they were so far away that it snowed in Newleaf, It would have took days to move three unconscious cats this far, or maybe moons. But where were they? Dovepaw spread her senses, but could only see up to a couple tail lengths away.

"Jayfeather!" Dovepaw cried, her voice was high pitched in alarm, "I can't see anything far away!"

The gray tabby heaved a sigh. "That big explosion probably messed with your senses, wait a bit till you get them back."

"Oh," Jayfeather's explanation was logical enough that Dovepaw found herself relaxing, "But what now..?"

"How about we all get something to eat?" Lionblaze asked, unsheathing his claws and digging them into the frozen earth, "Then we could talk about what we do next with some energy."

"Oh, yes please!" Dovepaw jumped at the chance of food, "Can I come hunting too?"

She saw her mentor's amber eyes flash to Jayfeather and saw the worry lingering deep in his gaze. "Don't worry about me!" Jayfeather meowed, his voice was calm, and almost soft. "Go and hunt, I won't move a whisker. I can stay alone."

"Alright then," Lionblaze meowed reluctantly, "Let's go Dovepaw."

Dovepaw cheered, and began walking away, the snow crunched loudly under her paws.

"Move a little more delicately," The golden tabby advised, "You going to scare all the prey away."

"Whoops" She mumbled awkwardly and tried taking lighter steps.

After a bit of walking, Lionblaze made a sudden stop under the shade of a great oak tree and began sniffing its roots. His expression was a one of confusion and alarm. His eyes were narrowed and his claws unsheathed. "Lionblaze?" Dovepaw began to feel a bit worried, "What's wrong?"

He mentor looked up, back at Dovepaw. "It's nothing, I thought I scented something odd." His voice was tight with forced calmness, but as his apprentice, Dovepaw knew better than to press on. "If you say so," the pale gray apprentice shrugged.

"What can you scent Dovepaw?" Lionblaze asked, his voice had returned to normal, and his pelt glowed bright golden even under the weak sunlight.

Dovepaw breathed in deeply, and parted her jaws slightly to taste the air. The air was cold on her tongue. "I smell mouse…but it's really, really faint" She drank in the air focusing intensely, "A bit of fox, but it must have been here half a moon ago."

"What else?" Lionblaze asked, he had a knowing edge on tone.

"Squirrel!" She gasped.

"There you go," The golden tabby sounded pleased, "Can you catch it? The scent is still pretty fresh."

"Yes!" Dovepaw mewed, pleased to have something to do. "I can see it! It's right behind that bush."

She dropping into a crouch, the snow was cold to touch, but she was determined to catch it. As smoothly was she could, she slid and padded very softly toward the Squirrel, it was crouched over behind the bush, nibbling on a fallen acorn.

Dovepaw breathed as lightly as she could. Ignoring the snow that reached up to her stomach.

 _Snap_

The squirrel looked up from its meal, eyes flashing and its large tail straight, rigid and bristling.

 _Mouse-dung!_ Dovepaw glanced down, she had stepped on a branch. _How did I miss that?_

The squirrel leapt off its sitting place, and dashed away, and without hesitation Dovepaw sprang right after it.

 _Come on!_ Dovepaw grit her teeth and willed herself to go faster. She sprayed snow everywhere as she ran in leaps and bounds, but inevitably lost it in the trees after a frenzied chase.

"Oh great," She mumbled, crestfallen, "It was such a meaty one to…"

Dovepaw paused, and glanced around, alarm exploding in her. Where was Lionblaze? Her eyes flashed with fear. Was she lost?

 _You can follow your scent trail back, its fine._ She told herself confidently _._

Taking a deep breath Dovepaw first calmed herself in a couple heart beats.

"Who are you?" A voice growled. Dovepaw froze.

The voice didn't belong to Lionblaze or Jayfeather. It was a bit deeper than the golden tabby's and had a wild and threatening tone to it, which was something she hadn't been spoken to with before.

She whirled around to face the owner of the voice, her fur bristling, and her cerulean eyes wide with alarm.

A handsome ginger tom stepped out of the bushes, his pelt flaming was ginger and his eyes were a starling green that reminded Dovepaw of lush green trees. He had a face that glowed with youth. The tom was lithe, but muscular.

The strange part was that Dovepaw knew that face, and she knew recognized his scent, it was unarguably a ThunderClan scent

" _Firestar?"_


	4. Chapter 3

**Hello! ^^ So thank you so much for those of you who have read and reviewed this story! I know I have always wanted to read something with time displacement in it, so why not write it myself? So without further ado, I give you Red Roar, Chapter 3!**

Firestar felt the dead pine needles and snow crunching under his paws. The air was cold and crisp with the scent of leaf-bare. He shivered, it would be long before his leaf-bare pelt grew in.The ginger tom paused to glance up at the sky, blinking his eyes of emerald.

The sky was gray and heavy with more coming snow.

His jaw set in a grimace, Firestar turned back and continued his lone patrol.

Now that leaf-bare was here, it would bring more problems to his Clan. Just beyond the ShadowClan border Tigerstar was out there. Planning something. Thunderclan had been comforted by the lack of ShadowClan in their territory, but Firestar knew better. The dark tabby would not rest until his enemies were brought down, and now with this cold, prey would either die out from the cold, or hide in places warriors couldn't reach. His Clan had to be well fed to and strong to be ready for whatever the ShadowClan leader would spew at them.

He stalked through Tall Pines, imagining that he was a great lion. Ready to pounce at anything and everything that would cause harm to his Clan. He would be the fiercest leader this forest had ever seen.

A dull pain throbbed his heart. He missed Bluestar.

He remembered seeing her strolling majestically out of the undergrowth, her blue-gray pelt glowing in the sunlight, bearing impressive scars. He remembered her eyes flashing as she spotted him, gleaming bright like a Green-leaf sky.

Just then, a squirrel shot past him in a gray-brown blur and scampered up the trees, caused the tree to rustle loudly.

Firestar spun around, wishing he could have caught it. Fresh-kill was become scarce already, but the ginger tom knew it was well lost now, a cat couldn't possibly catch a squirrel in the tree tops.

He raised his ears. He could hear a cat running from crunch of paws hitting dead pine needles and snow, he guessed that the cat was the one who was originally chasing the squirrel.

His whiskers twitched in amusement. Who was out hunting now? Maybe it was Ashpaw or Fernpaw, on a solo hunting trip perhaps? He scented unmistakable ThunderClan scent, it was warm and smelled of home. The ginger tom only paused when he realized he couldn't identify _which_ scent it belonged to.

Firestar was dumbfounded. _What type of cat reeks of ThunderClan, but doesn't belong to the Clan?_

He could hear the cat stopping its run, and soft panting filled the air. Instead of the loud crunching of snow. He carefully, padded closer to the source of the sound carefully but confidently, knowing that he wouldn't be scented, with the wind blowing to his favor.

The ginger tom stopped where he was hidden in the shadows, but could see the cat.

A soft growl left him. He certainly didn't recognize this cat.

Firestar bunched his muscles, his eyes flashing with a warrior's fire, fully intending to chase it out, but he stopped, _hesitating._

The cat was young, no older than an apprentice, slightly small. Her fur was pale gray, glowing silver in the weak sunlight. Her eyes were the round, pools of cerulean. The ginger tom saw her anxiously glancing around. She was rather obviously lost. Then he could suddenly see Thunderclan in her. He could he his Clan in her fur, it wasn't thin like WindClan's or sleek like RiverClan's.

 _Her scent is of Thunderclan._ He thought, a little confused, _was she rolling in our border?_

 _Perhaps there is another way to scare her out._

He breathed deeply in, standing taller, and narrowing his eyes.

"Who are you?" Firestar asked, strolling out of the trees, he had turned his voice wild and threatening. _Maybe she'll leave._

The young she-cat whirled around, turning to face Firestar. When she spotted him, her eyes widened, and her jaw dropped in shock.

After what could have been moons or a couple heartbeats, she finally choked out a word.

"Firestar?!"

The ginger tom blinked, extremely unsettled, he hadn't expected the cat to recognize him. He forced his bristling fur down, refusing to show his surprise. "That is me." He answered in a low growl, "But I asked you first. Who are _you?_ "

The pale-gray cat didn't answer, her jaw agape, and her eyes wide and round like two tiny moons.

Then another cat burst out of the bushes, almost throwing himself in front of the younger cat in a protective stance, and this time, Firestar couldn't stop his fur from bristling, there were more cats? Who else was here? He could have easily chased the she-cat out, but the other cat looked like a cat he wouldn't like to meet in battle.

The other cat was a tom, larger than him, also smelling of ThunderClan and older than the pale gray one, covered in muscle and thick golden tabby fur. His face was twisted into a fierce snarl and his amber eyes blazed like miniature suns.

Then his eyes flashed with shock. " _Firestar!?_ "

"Who are you?" The tom in question snarled, arching his back, his fiery ginger fur bristling. Who were these strange cats, standing on _his_ territory? Where they spies sent by ShadowClan? How did they know who he was?

The tom took a deep breath. He straightened up, golden stripes rippling on his pelt. "I am Lion-"He then paused, and pointed to the cat sitting behind him, "And this is Dove." Dove winced as Firestar's brilliant emerald gaze traveled to her. "Er, hello." She mewed softly, trying to hide behind the tom. Lion's voice was strong and smooth, "We are just travelers." He meowed, "just passing through."

Neither of the cats seemed to be looking for a fight, but the ginger cat remained wary. "How do you know of me?"

Lion's eyes flickered slightly to the side, so fast Firestar thought he must have been imagining it.

"The Clans of the forest are spoken of frequently," Lion meowed solemnly, "And you happen to be brought up before."

Firestar paused, surprised, his journey back from the Moonstone wasn't too long ago. Where were these cats getting all this?

"It is an honor meeting you." Lion bowed his head respectfully, startling the ThunderClan leader even further, "We have been looking for you."

Dove made a surprised sound from behind Lion.

Firestar's bemusement continued to rise in a rapid pace.

"We would like to join ThunderClan."


	5. Chapter 4

**Only did I notice the really ugly grammar errors after I posted chapter 3 T^T. If you noticed it, would you be so kind to ignore it? Okays Thanks^^. So thank you sosososo much for everyone who read and reviewed the story. :D I get too excited every time I get a follow or review :P. Which honestly isn't too much at the moment, but I hope it'll grow in the future! Also, I has zero patience to write long chapters. Mkay enough boring talk, without further ado, I give you…Red Roar, chapter 4! Hopefully no silly grammar mistakes this time…**

Jayfeather sat with his back leaning against the rough bark of a Pine tree.

Everything was so strange, not too long ago he was curled up in his den slumbering peacefully. Yet, there he sat in the middle of StarClan knows where. Alone and waiting in the cold.

The Medicine cat drew his tongue over his paw in an effort to distract himself. The cold, sharp air was teasing him. It was everywhere, pausing to nip at him every so often, especially his ears and nose. _At least Dovepaw and Lionblaze are doing something._ He sighed, curling up against the roots of the pine tree. _Anything would be better than doing nothing._ His blind eyes flickered to the direction where he last heard any sign of movement. _If a fox came out I'd be crow-food._ He felt a flash of fear at the thought of fangs sinking into his flesh.

 _I am one of the three_. The tabby narrowed his eyes, steeling himself. _I was chosen for a reason. I can't be so afraid of everything._

Jayfeather thought he felt a brush of whiskers along the side his pelt. He shivered, pulling himself in tighter. _If you are so great and powerful,_ a sneering voice had managed to weave itself into his thoughts, _why couldn't you have stopped the cat from knocking you out and bringing you all the way to here? Oh yeah, good luck navigating through the new forest. You're kind of blind._

 _Shut up!_ Jayfeather buried his head into his paws, his face twisting slightly into the beginnings of a snarl. _I am important. I am needed._ Loud mocking laughter seemed to fill the air. He tried to ignore it. _You're just imagining it._

 _Where is Dovepaw and Lionblaze? Does it really take this much time to catch one meal?_ Jayfeather put his paws down, and drew himself up taller. The cold wind buffeted his gray tabby fur. _I can wait. It's fine, and it doesn't matter as long as they come back, I suppose._

 _What if they never came back?_

The fur along the tabby's spine began to bristle. _Mouse-brain!_ He thought fiercely, _of course they'll come back._ But his confidence faded away just as quickly as it came. He could feel it slipping from under his paws like melting ice. _Worrying won't do you any good. The best thing to do right now…_ The tabby closed his blind eyes and sighed _…Is to wait._

Jayfeather waited. He didn't know for how long he had been waiting, with the time stretching on forever like an endless sea. It could have been moons or a few heart beats for all he knew. He felt useless and stranded, unable to do anything other than wait.

Then he heard paw steps.

Then he heard voices.

Jayfeather froze. He heard three voices. Two of them were obvious, belonging to his brother and his apprentice. The third voice familiar yet foreign to his ears.

"My brother should be just under that tree."

Lionblaze's voice was strong and smooth, but Jayfeather could feel the anxiety sparking off his pelt in sharp flashes, even though he was still quite a way away.

"Your brother's name is Jay you say?"

Jayfeather stiffened. He recognized that voice, but did not at the same time. Listening to it felt like plunging his head in the cold frozen lake, only to feel a searing fire burning away at his fur and flesh. The last time he had heard that voice it was slightly raspy with age, and deeper with wisdom. _That couldn't possibly be…_

"Yes _Firestar_!" This time it was Dovepaw who spoke up, her voice was slightly wobbly, but loud. " _Jay_ is _Lion's_ brother, and me, _Dove's_ kin." The gray tabby couldn't help but to notice how she emphasized their prefix names rather strongly, as if she wanted someone near them to hear her. A strong sense of urgency, desperation and anxiety seemed to flow off her pelt. _She's telling me that they introduced themselves like that._

 _Then that third voice is really Firestar…_

Jayfeather frowned and glanced down at his paws, his tail swishing. His fur began to bristle in alarm, _then we must be back in time._

A sharp pain throbbed in his heart, and before he knew it, he was being carried away in his memories. In his mind's eyes he saw a lithe white she cat bounded up to him, her soft fur blowing slightly in the wind, her eyes were glowing emerald orbs. They were same color he imagined he would find when the sunlight hit the treetops in just the right angle. "Jay's Wing!" she called out to him, a grin playing on her lips.

Jayfeather jerked his head, snapping back to reality moments before the group of cats emerged from the undergrowth.

The loud crunching of snow and pine needles came to a sudden halt.

"So you are Jay?" Firestar's young voice was cool and laced with a slight caution, but the blind tabby felt the curiosity fizzing off his fiery ginger pelt. He felt the leader's gaze pass over him, and immediately caught the flash of worry from the tom. _He doesn't think that I'll make a strong warrior._

Jayfeather sat up taller, refusing to be daunted. He turned to the direction of were Firestar's voice had come from, and met his stare with one of his own. "Yes," he meowed, his voice cool, and if not, a bit chilly, "I am Jay."

A bird chirped in the distance.

"So, um, Firestar…" Dovepaw mewed, her voice straining from the awkwardness, "All three of us were wondering if we could join ThunderClan."

The tabby blinked, the slightest bit unsettled, but not quite surprised. _Join the old ThunderClan?_

Once again, Jayfeather felt the ginger tom's piercing gaze wash over him. "Make no mistake Firestar." He meowed, his voice rising to slight growl to defend himself. "I do not fight, I heal."

The gray tabby felt a surge of satisfaction at the flash of surprise that Firestar gave off. Relishing the feeling before it went away. "Very well." Firestar's young voice was slightly startled, "Follow me to camp."

The blind tom felt the air ripple with movement as the leader spun around and headed to a certain direction. He then felt the brush of Dovepaw's whiskers against his flank, and the tip of Lionblaze's tail tapping on his shoulder. _This way,_ they seemed to be saying. Grateful for their help for once, Jayfeather stepped forward. Firestar didn't need to know he was blind quite yet.


	6. Chapter 5

Lionblaze brushed the tip of his tail on Jayfeather's shoulders softly, subtly, but to his brother, most definitely noticeably. Then Dovepaw blinked knowingly and turned her head swiftly to the left. Her whiskers scraping the gray tabby's flank. Jayfeather immediately veered sharply to the left, missing the bramble bush that could have easily sent a cat tripping. He had done it with such confident steps that Lionblaze had a hard time believing that his brother was blind.

Ahead of them, Firestar led the way, and although at the moment he faced straight forward, the golden tabby had saw the leader glance back a couple times.

Lionblaze felt unease stirring his stomach. It was cold and heavy, and was traveling up to his throat. Although he was the one who had proposed the idea of joining the old ThunderClan, the idea still sat strangely on his heart-as if his heart was telling him it was an awful idea. But at this point, what choice did he have? What choice did they all have?

The golden tabby narrowed his eyes and with a firm and powerful mental push of his mind, shoved his doubts aside. He had other matters to focus on at the moment. Like getting Jayfeather to the camp- correction, the _old_ camp, without tripping over the thick undergrowth and snow. It wasn't a hard job, Firestar's vibrant and fiery pelt stuck out easily amongst the leafless trees, and was easy to follow. Lionblaze would tap Jayfeather's shoulder to tell him something was ahead, softly, or a bit strongly to tell him how large that something was. Dovepaw would brush her whiskers left or right, telling the blind tabby which way to turn to avoid the something ahead. How fast or how slow the apprentice turned told Jayfeather how much distance he should put while turning.

Together they worked in perfect unison, there had been no tripping. Maybe a bit of stumbling as his brother tried to get used to and understand the way they were guiding him, but no tripping.

"We're almost there." Firestar called, turning his head slightly to stare at the trio with his emerald eyes sharp and observant. Almost like a hawk. "Can you scent anything?"

At once, Dovepaw stood straighter, her cerulean eyes flashing, and Lionblaze immediately knew she had got her powers back fully. The look in her eyes said more than any words. The pale gray apprentice parted her mouth slightly to taste the air, her dark pink tongue standing out from the gray white hues around her. "Many cats, Firestar." She said, her eyes narrowed in concentration. Lionblaze could tell how his apprentice was trying extremely hard to say what she scented, and not saw. "And the scent of prey and herbs."

Lionblaze stiffened, and the ginger leader froze. Jayfeather, standing between Lionblaze and his apprentice, gave a small sigh.

"You could scent the smell of herbs and prey…"Firestar began slowly, "All the way from here..?"

The confident demeanor Dovepaw held shrank away instantly, like mist evaporating under the bright sun. "No…" She meowed in a small voice, her cerulean gaze dropping to her paws.

Jayfeather grit his teeth, and shot a withering glare at Dovepaw, his eyes sharp and piercing, like a pair of claws. Of looks could kill, Lionblaze doubted there would be much left of his apprentice, other than a smoking pile of ashes. "Forgive her Firestar." The gray tabby turned to face the ginger tom, his icy gaze returning to normal, "She has a tendency to try to impress other cats with things she doesn't _scent_." Jayfeather lashed his tail on the last word, emphasizing it.

The golden tabby turned slightly to see Dovepaw, her ears were drooping slightly, her eyes pools of frustration. He felt a flash of sympathy for her. It couldn't have been easy for her. Jayfeather and he were full grown toms, but Dovepaw was just an apprentice far from home. She must have just wanted to make a good impression on the leader and accidentally said what she saw.

"I see." Firestar nodded in acknowledgement, but Lionblaze could see the tip of his tail twitching thoughtfully and in an almost unsettled way. Like an anxious ginger snake slithering on the snow.

Without another word, Firestar turned and headed into the bracken. Heavy silence reigned between the three. "Sorry…" Dovepaw muttered, her gaze still on her paws.

"We can't go back to change that now," Lionblaze meowed, trying his best to comfort her, "come on, let's go..." he directed his gaze to where Firestar had gone, and was relieved to see the tip of a flame-colored tail still visible. The snow crunched loudly under his paws as they continued their walk. Softly he touched the tip of his tail on Jayfeather's shoulder.

Dovepaw twisted around a bit, this time swerving her head to the right. She looked relived to have something to do again.

Jayfeather turned right, and Lionblaze saw the messy clump of bracken brush his brother's ankle as they continued walking.

In a little while, Lionblaze scented an overpowering scent of ThunderClan, they were here. He felt fear tightening his throat. He was so close, yet, so far away from his home. He could scent many individual scents, but none that were familiar to him. Other than the general scent of ThunderClan, there was nothing he recognized.

Firestar turned and gave a brief nod to the trio, before disappearing into ThunderClan camp, through the gorse tunnel. They were here. "It's too late to be regretting this now." Jayfeather grunted, having sensed his brother's fear. The gray tabby stared at Lionblaze, his eyes narrowed into sharp slits. "And at this point we don't really have a choice."

The larger tom nodded, steeling himself. "Okay." He breathed in deeply, trying to take courage from those blunt words. "We can do this."

"I thought you were supposed to the brave one!" Dovepaw meowed, her eyes round, sparkling with surprise. Lionblaze wondered where she got her energy, just a couple heart beats ago the pale gray she-cat had been staring at her paws, her eyes dark and gloomy.

"Battles and time traveling are two different things." He meowed, defending himself.

"How about instead of talking about it, we actually go inside now." Jayfeather's voice cut sharply through the air, like fangs would through flesh.

Lionblaze squared his shoulders, and padded into the gorse tunnel. With his brother and apprentice following just a couple tails behind him. His heart began beating so rapidly that he thought it would burst for sure.

The sight of the old ThunderClan greeted him. A feeling of strangeness washed over him like a powerful wave. It was a sandy ravine, with a large rock sitting near the back on the camp. _Highrock_ he realized immediately. Near him, he saw cats turning, to them, their eyes narrowed in hostility, a small dusky brown she-cat hissed at them. _That's Mousefur!_ Lionblaze found himself unable stop staring. _She looks so young!_

Forcing his gaze away, the golden tabby spotted a dark gray she-cat walking out of a den made in the cracks of a large rock. She had familiar eyes, the color of a warm Greenleaf sky, and familiar, smooth triangular face, and soft pelt. _Cinderheart!_ He almost cried out. Lionblaze bit his tongue so hard he drew blood. Only then did he notice the dark-gray she-cat was limping, rather than just walking. He stared, with his amber eyes widening, as he noticed that her hind leg was terribly twisted and injured, way beyond healing. He felt an awful, terrible, and throbbing grief for the cat that looked so much like his Cinderheart.

" _Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the Highrock for a meeting."_

Lionblaze turned around just in time to spot Firestar climb smoothly up the Highrock, his fur glowing a brilliant orange even in the weak sunlight. He shuffled around anxiously as cats of all shapes and colors began filling the clearing, he recognized some of them. A young Brambleclaw-or was it Bramblepaw? Sat with his tail curled neatly around his paws. A white tom, with a thick pelt, walked past Lionblaze, bumping his shoulder on purpose and pausing to glare at him with narrowed blue eyes filled with hostility. _That's Cloudtail!_

Murmuring rippled through the crowd as they noticed three unfamiliar cats seated in their camp. A dark gray tabby growled at them.

Dovepaw shuffled closer, to Lionblaze, her gaze revealing that she was frightened with the cats staring at them, and although Lionblaze was a bit alarmed himself, he curled his tail around his apprentice in a comforting gesture. Next to her, Jayfeather sat with his head held high, seemingly unbothered by the amount of cats staring at him.

It seemed that everything was going to change from here.

 **Anndd that's all there is to this chapter. What do you think?**


	7. Chapter 6

Dovepaw pressed her side closely to Lionblaze's pelt, rich golden and soft gray fur blending together. She was hoping to find comfort in the warmth of her clanmate. She closed her eyes, breathing in deeply, he wasn't Whitewing or Ivypaw, but she was grateful for any source of comfort nonetheless.

"Three rogues by names of Lion, Dove and Jay have requested to join ThunderClan."

Murmuring broke out from the Clan. They didn't sound too pleased to hear that. "How do we know they aren't spies from ShadowClan?" Cloudtail stepped up, youth glowing from every hair from his pelt. His eyes were narrowed into a sharp glare, and teeth bared into the beginnings from a snarl. Seated right behind him, Mousefur yowled a loud agreement.

"This is ridiculous!" A dark tabby added, emphasizing his words with an angry lash of his tail.

"We can't go around accepting every cat that asks to join!"

Dovepaw glanced at Jayfeather, he sat with his tail wrapped neatly around his paws, his head held high, and his eyes icy, hardened and cold. His gray tabby fur sat flatly on his skin. His ear flicked occasionally, reminding the apprentice that he indeed a real cat of flesh and blood, and not one carved out of stone. He looked unaffected by the comments.

Dovepaw envied his calm. She stared her paws, wishing the sandy ground would open and swallow her up. She wanted to be anywhere but here.

"They're not of ThunderClan Blood!"

Dovepaw turned and stared, Dustpelt stood, with the fur on his neck bristling. "We can't keep doing this! ThunderClan has to have ThunderClan blood in it!" He snarled furiously. _But we're kin!_ Dovepaw flinched, a feeling of sharp remorse and loss rippling through her. _I am ThunderClan._

Next to her, she felt the muscles beneath Lionblaze's pelt tensing, she could see the confliction in his eyes. Lionblaze was a well-respected warrior of ThunderClan, but now here he sat, begin scorned by what was going to become his Clan. The golden tabby probably didn't want to be in this situation as much as she did.

The disagreeing grew louder, like a thunderstorm pouring out its wrath. It was so loud that the apprentice doubted that she wouldn't be able to stretch her senses far enough to see anything. Dovepaw squeezed her eyes shut. _This was a mistake. We should have never asked to join._

" _I never said they were going to join."_

Firestar's voice rang out loud and clear, his voice felt like feeling cold water dripping down her spine. It was strange and unsettling. Dovepaw's eyes shot open with surprise, she stared at him, blinking her round cerulean eyes. If he wasn't letting them join, why bring them to camp? The loud meows of the clan immediately disappeared in confusion.

On Highrock, Firestar sat, looking almost bored, with his tail tapping softly against the rock he was sitting on. "I never said they were joining." His words seemed to be laced with ice and venom. "Listen and listen well ThunderClan." Dovepaw felt his calculating gaze wash over her. She shivered, curling her tail over her paws more tightly, she felt exposed and strangely threatened.

"I will allow Dove, Jay and Lion to stay in our Clan for half of a moon." He spoke firmly, and this time no cat dared to speak up again. The pale-gray apprentice felt so sure that everyone could hear her heart beating in her chest. "How well they do during that time, is how I'll determine whether they will join or not."

Firestar gave the crowd a good hard stare. When no one said anything, the ginger leader drew himself up, in a tall dignified stance. "Dove, come up here."

 _Me first? Why?!_

The pale gray apprentice swallowed hard, but Lionblaze gave her an encouraging nod, and flicked his tail against her side in a comforting gesture. Dovepaw felt a sudden flash of sadness, she would miss having the tom as her mentor. Taking a deep breath, she leapt away from the tabby's side and scrambled up onto Highrock, she felt awkward and uncoordinated.

 _It feels like having my apprentice ceremony all over again._

Dovepaw panted softly as she walked next to Firestar, and winced as she felt the crowd's hostile glare boring hot into her fur. She remembered her actual apprentice ceremony clearly, the crowd chanting her name proudly, and her sister seated next to her, lifting her gaze up. Dovepaw remembered Whitewing eyes glittering with a fierce, warm love. She missed her parents.

Firestar turned to address his clan, his muzzle raised high, "for the next half moon, Dove here will be training and learning to be a ThunderClan apprentice, when she has proven herself, her name shall be Dovepaw."

The pale-gray apprentice shivered at the sound of her real name. She wanted it back desperately. _Half a moon_ she told herself, _then you can have it back._

"During this time, I have chosen Graystripe to be her mentor."

The murmuring rippled through the clan, whether it was good or bad Dovepaw didn't know. _Graystripe!_ She felt relief washing over her, _Thank StarClan._ She spotted the long-haired gray tom, seated next to Sandstorm blinking his amber eyes in surprise. He then stood up, his thick tail swishing left and right. Dovepaw watched the tom leap up onto Highrock far more gracefully than she had, and walk next to her. _What if he doesn't like me?_ She thought with a flash of alarm. _After all I'm a complete stranger to him and the clan._

But Graystripe turned and smiled slightly at her, his eyes shone in a polite and friendly way. "Touch noses with me." He whispered, and Dovepaw obeyed at once, she leaned forward until their noses brushed, his nose was damp and cold, Dovepaw suppressed a shiver. After a second, Graystripe stepped back.

Firestar nodded at them, and turned back to the crowd, his fur shone bright fiery ginger, even under the weak sun.

"Lion, come up here."

The crowd was silent as Lionblaze climbed up Highrock, his strong paws hauled him up at ease. His amber eyes fixed on Firestar, and on him alone. Dovepaw glanced at Firestar then at Lionblaze. They did look alike. They had a same strong expression and their muzzles where the same shape. _Would anyone else notice this?_

But to Dovepaw's relief, no cat made a sound as Firestar gave the tabby a nod and spoke again, "For the next half-moon Lion will be staying at ThunderClan acting as a warrior, but not quite one until he has proven himself."

The pale-gray she-cat saw the grimace flash across her Clan mate's face and his muscles tensing under his thick pelt, but it was gone quickly as it came.

"Jay, come up here."

Dovepaw's heart dropped.

Jayfeather inhaled in a deep breath, and she saw his eyes pooling with frustration. _How is he going to climb up Highrock?_

The blind tabby took a step forward.

And another.

And another.

"Any day now." A cat muttered crossly, his tail twitching against the sandy ground.

Jayfeather whirled around, with a growl rising from his throat. Dovepaw saw the glare he sent at the cat's direction. Then he spun around, his tail swishing left and right, and took another step, his forehead creasing with concentration. _Come on Jayfeather!_ Dovepaw thought desperately. _You can do this._

She thought of the Highrock, the way it stood, proud and lofty, almost like a lion's paw sticking out of the Earth. She imagined Jayfeather climbing hauling himself up next to her.

The gray tabby's eyes became hard with steely determination. Dovepaw saw his walk increasing in speed. He leapt up Highrock, and scrabbled next to Lionblaze, his claws digging into the stone under him. _How did he do that?_ The pale-gray cat's eyes widened, _how did he know where to jump on to?_

Jayfeather turned and gave her a grateful nod.

 _My thoughts!_ The realization struck her hard. _I helped him!_

Dovepaw drew herself up taller feeling pride pulsing from her whiskers to her tail. She had helped him.

Firestar took a breath and turned to address the crowd for the last time, "For the next half a moon Jay will be staying in ThunderClan acting as a warrior, but will become one if he proves himself during that time."

 _A warrior?_ Dovepaw stiffened with shock, _Jayfeather a warrior?_

She saw the gray tom's fur beginning to bristle, he had nimble paws great for organizing herbs, but he was smaller than Firestar and was lacking fighting or hunting skills. Instead his mind worked at a different pace, listening to StarClan and finding meaning in their omens. He healed the sick and injured, not the other way around.

 _Everything is so different now._ Dovepaw glanced her paws. She saw Firestar flick his tail, dismissing the meeting, before leaping off Highrock in an orange blur and heading into his den. Cats dispersed into groups, chattering and muttering away at each other. Dovepaw felt almost certain they were all talking about her, Lionblaze, and his brother.

Paws nudged her side, the pale-gray cat's head shot up in surprise, to find Graystripe's amber eyes staring at her. "Dove was it?" He meowed in a friendly voice, "Don't just stand there, and let me show you around the territory."

"Oh, okay." Dovepaw meowed awkwardly, and followed the young tom as he leapt off Highrock.

"Good luck!" Lionblaze called to her as he nudged Jayfeather down Highrock.

"Thank you!" She answered back. _I think I might need it._

… **So what do you think? Please review!** **Also should I try writing a chapter in Cinderpelt's point of view?**


	8. Chapter 7

Jayfeather released the breath he was holding as he felt the sandy ground underneath his paws. A shiver rippled through his spine. A warrior! Him!The gray tabby snorted at the thought, a mouse would have better luck me.  
He felt his brother's pelt brush against his own, "Maybe we should go talk to Firestar about this..." Lionblaze meowed thoughtfully,"If we could talk to him, maybe he'll change his mind and let you act as a medicine cat for half a moon instead." "As if!" Jayfeather hissed, he felt rage spilling out of his words, he hated being blind, "You saw the way he spoke, he's not going to change his mind anytime soon."  
Lionblaze didn't answer at first, but the gray tabby caught the sharp flash of annoyance from him. "Okay." His brother meowed at last in voice tight with anger, "But you don't have to be so negative all the time."  
The gray tabby stiffened. Me? Negative?  
"Get real!" He snapped furiously, "I'm not being negative, I'm being realistic."  
Me? Negative!?  
Jayfeather felt fury pulsing from his whiskers to the tip of his tail. It was hard to think positive about the world when you couldn't even see it, and there was Lionblaze thinking it was that simple.  
"Then what do you suggest you do?" His brother's voice was exasperated, "Do you have any better ideas?"  
"Actually I do!" Jayfeather felt the hot annoyance coming from the golden tabby flare at his words. "I think I should convince Cinderpelt to talk to Firestar instead."  
Immediately the annoyance Lionblaze was giving off disappeared. It vanished like dawn mist under the hot sun. In it's place a feeling like a dull throbbing grieve appeared.  
Jayfeather blinked, confused and a little startled. He didn't understand why he was so upset. Peering into his mind, Jayfeather saw his brother's mind was flooded with the image of a certain dark gray warrior, she had familiar blue eyes. Cinderheart! The closer he looked, the more he could feel his brother's grief. It was low and throbbing, but powerful and loud. It felt like a rainstorm, with rain falling in large steady drops, and the wind lashing and throwing everything off course. Occasionally a loud and powerful thunderclap would sound at the distance, almost like a lion's roar. Cinderpelt! He realized with a shiver, He's grieving for her injury. Jayfeather felt his rage life and cool.

"Cinderpelt isn't her Lionblaze." The gray tabby meowed, then felt a prick of uneasiness traveling down his spine. Was he lying by saying these words? The golden tabby said no words, and the heavy downpour in his mind didn't clear in the slightest. "But she looks so much like her." He muttered, pulling away from the gray tabby, "so much like her..."  
"But she's not her!" Jayfeather growled fiercely, his tail swishing left and right. He felt pang of uneasiness, but pushed it aside. "When this is all over you can go back to Cinderheart and start a family or whatever."  
"His brother said no words.  
"But right now you need to understand, she is not her."  
Jayfeather felt the air crackle with tension.  
"Okay." Lionblaze meowed at last in a low, and soft voice, "I'll take you to the medicine den." Jayfeather hesitated, it didn't look like the storm of grief hadn't cleared.  
But sometimes cats just need some times to themselves.  
The gray tabby felt Lionblaze's head nudging his side, "It's that way." The golden tabby meowed.  
Jayfeather nodded and turned, his paws thudding against the sandy earth under him as he walked. The ground was dry and almost dusty, it seemed that the snow hadn't reached the camp. He opened his mouth to taste the air, the scent of herbs drew closer. "Almost there." Lionblaze meowed, confirming his suspicions. The gray tabby pushed his neck forward, trying to use his whiskers to guide him. After a little while he felt cold rock brush the tip of his whiskers. "The medicine cat den," The gray tabby sighed.  
Just go inside," his brother meowed, his voice was bland from the lack of emotion, "I'm going to go see if I can go join a patrol or something." Jayfeather certainly wasn't going to ask him to help him inside.  
"Okay." He answered as he heard the sound of Lionblaze's pawsteps alert him that his brother was leaving.  
Jayfeather breathed in deeply, and walked inside, alert, with his whiskers twitching, and his tail swishing. The sandy dirt underneath his paws turned to cold, firm stone.  
"Who's there?" A voice called out.  
Great StarClan! The tom thought as he sat down, wrapping his tail neatly around his paws, She even sounds the same.  
They seemed to have the same bright, songbird like voice.  
"Jay-" he responded, before breaking off his words. "I want to talk to you."  
The gray tabby twitched his ear as he heard the sound of paws walking toward him.  
"Oh? What's this?" Cinderpelt's voice seemed to be laced with amusement, "injured already?"  
"No." Jayfeather growled, unsettled by the feeling of strangeness washing over him, it soaked into his pelt and wedged it's way into his heart and mind. Normally that's what he would be grumbling to his patients. A fully trained medicine cat shouldn't be asked those questions. No, not at all  
"Jay, was it?" Cinderpelt meowed in a polite way, "then what do you need to talk abou-" her words stopped, like the rest of her sentence had been sliced clean off with a badger's claw. The gray tabby jerked his head back, startled by the sudden silence. Then he felt the gray she-cat's gaze drilling hot into his fur.  
What's happening?  
Jayfeather tried mentally looking into her mind, but it was foggy and seemed to be filled with cold mist. A hiss of frustration escaped from his lips, he couldn't see anything in her mind. Was she getting something from StarClan? The tom felt a jolt of fear at the thought, what if they wanted him gone? What if they didn't know who he was?  
After what seemed to be moons or a few heartbeats, Cinderpelt spoke up again. "Sorry," she meowed in a shaky voice, "I just blanked out there."  
She's lying!  
"That's fine," he meowed briskly, "but I really do need to talk to you."  
He felt a sudden spark of alarm from the medicine cat, but it was smothered quickly, "okay." She meowed, her voice becoming more steady, "What do you need?"  
This was it. Jayfeather sat up a bit straighter, as if how he looked could affect her decision. "I need to become a medicine cat."  
Shock burst out from Cinderpelt, every part of her flaring from it. "Why?" She gasped, her voice rising in pitch. "Why can't you be a warrior?"  
"Because this isn't about what I want!" Jayfeather snapped, his fur beginning to bristle, "I can't be a warrior!" Anger burst out from him, causing his ears to burn.  
"Why not?" Cinderpelt's voice was genuinely curious, "Why can't you be a warrior?"  
The gray tabby swallowed hard. Keeping my blindness a secret didn't last to long at all.  
"I'm blind okay!?" He snarled, his ears flattening down on his skull. "And a blind cat can't possibly be a warrior." After a couple heart beats emotions began pouring out of of Cinderpelt, they ranged from shock to pity and sympathy. The tom grit his teeth.I don't need your pity!

"I suppose I could talk to Firestar." Her voice was soft, as if she was speaking to a injured kit. "And you could learn from me."  
"There's no need." He responded coldly, his tail tapping the stone underneath him. "I already know all about herbs."  
"I'll be the judge of that," Cinderpelt said firmly, but the tom could feel curiosity radiation of her pelt. "But who taught you?"Jayfeather swore under his breathe, and after a few heartbeats he finally answered back with the words, "My mother did." He made sure to force every bitterness and hate he had into his words. She won't ask anything more now.  
"Alright," The gray she-cat's voice was cautious, "I'm going to go talk to Firestar now, if you go deeper in, you'll find a moss nest, you can stay there for now."  
Jayfeather nodded, now feeling slightly embarrassed. Was that too much?  
Before Cinderpelt could say anything else, he walked deeper in, his ears still laying flat on his head.  
The tom breathed in the scent of herbs, finding comfort in the familiar scent.  
Here it is, He thought as felt soft springy moss under his paws. Without a second thought, the gray tabby flopped down and groaned, as he curled up into a tight ball.  
I didn't realize I was so exhausted.  
Jayfeather closed his eyes, it was impossible not to, they felt heavy, like boulders. Just until Cinderpelt gets back...

"Ivypaw!"  
Jayfeather's eyes shot open in surprise, the sight of his camp greeted him, it was his ThunderClan! He could see too. Jayfeather glanced down at his paws, they were gray and striped, he relished the feeling of sight. Oh how he wished he could take this gift with him in the waking word. He looked up, and the sight of the sun speckled treetops greeted him.  
"Ivypaw!"  
Jayfeather turned around, his eyes widening, that was Whitewing's voice! Next to him, a silver and white tabby paced around camp, her tail dragging limply on the ground, her dark blue eyes were mournful. Ivypaw!  
Then the whole world flickered somehow, as if the sun had burned out, and the whole world turned pitch black, like how everything looked like when he was awake. Then it returned back to normal. Jayfeather shivered, feeling unsettled, he saw a white she-cat leap up to the tabby apprentice. "Ivypaw!" She cried, "Come and have a mouse!"  
Whitewing!  
"The world flickered again.  
"I can't!" Ivypaw muttered, "not until We find Dovepaw!"  
"We will find her!" Whitewing's voice was filled with fierce conviction, "we have to! But you're not helping her by not eating."  
The world flickered again.  
And flickered.  
No!  
Jayfeather felt his fur bristling. He knew he was waking up, he could feel his dream slipping away like ice under his world began flickering much more rapidly, and it became impossible to make anything out. Then he started falling.

Ahh I'm sorry, this chapter doesn't have Jayfeather's thoughts in italics.


	9. Chapter 8

"Mouse dung!"

Firestar's paws thudded against the cold empty ground just a heart-beat after the mouse scuttled away into the bushes. He sighed, his tail swishing left and right. _I can't seem to focus today._

The ginger tom sat down and began grooming the cold snow and dirt off his paws. _But you have to focus!_

His emerald gaze traveled up the tree tops, the weak but determined sun spread its glowing light over the leaves, dappling them with colors of warm gold. _Thank StarClan no one was here to see that._

The bushes rustled loudly, the ginger tom jerked his head up, placing his paws back on the ground, alert at the sound. Moments later Sandstorm appeared, a mouse dangling limply from her jaws. "Hey." She meowed, dropping it at his paws, her grass-green eyes glittered with barely concealed amusement, "I think this slipped your paws."

… _spoke to soon._

"Thanks Sandstorm," he meowed, ducking his head to give his chest fur a couple embarrassed licks.

"Do you want to talk?" The pale ginger warrior asked as she took a seat next to him, her voice was soft and understanding. The tom said nothing as he twined his tail with hers, her warm fur brushed his own. He breathed in deeply, enjoying her company and sharp scent of earth and dandelions.

"I know everyone's on edge from ShadowClan right now," Firestar started as he dropped his gaze to the dead mouse sitting limply at his paws. _If I don't bury this soon it's going to attract foxes._ "But that's why I feel like we need more warriors."

In response Sandstorm gave him a nod to continue.

The ginger tom imagined Lion, he was broad-shouldered and large with glowing amber eyes. Stripes rippled down his golden pelt, if he became a genuine ThunderClan warrior, he would make a great addition to the Clan.

Jay, smaller but with sharp, piercing eyes that seemed to see right through his soul. The way he had sat so calmly while the Clan yowled at them to be thrown out unnerved him. He looked a bit too small and wiry to make a powerful warrior, but he felt a cat with his mindset would be great at unsettling the other Clan warriors.

Dove, small and young with a fluffy pelt and round eyes. She appeared to be inquisitive and willing to learn and listen from what he had gathered. The pale-gray she-cat looked as if she could have been born right into ThunderClan.

 _Come to think of it, they all look like they could have been ThunderClan._

Sandstorm nudged him gently with her muzzle, "Are you going to continue?"

"Huh?" Firestar blinked just realizing he had been lost in thought, "Oh right, sorry."

"I'm also a bit worried about how they would fit in," He meowed as he pushed snow and dirt over the mouse with one paw, burying it in the earth. "So I thought it would be better to see first how they would do."

"It's certainly not a bad idea," the she-cat offered as she leaned against him.

The tom felt a burst of affection for his mate, "thanks."

"If I go about this carefully," Firestar meowed quickly, adding more words to his thoughts "I feel like they would make a great addition to ThunderClan."

"Firestar!"

The sound of paws pounding the earth and panting greeted his sensitive ears. He raised them, trying to listen better. "That sounded like Cinderpelt." The pale-ginger she-cat meowed, confirming his own suspicions.

A second later a dark-gray she-cat burst out from the undergrowth, hobbling over to the leader while favoring a hind-leg far to injured for healing. "There you are!" She meowed breathlessly, "I've been looking for you!"

There was a spark of alarm in her eyes that frightened him, it ran deep in her gaze as if it was the core of her eyes.

"Do we need to talk?" he asked in a low murmur.

When his medicine cat nodded, he turned and touched his nose to Sandstorm's ear in a tender farewell. His mate nodded. Understanding and hesitation glowed from her eyes as she turned and dug back up the mouse she had caught, with a powerful leap, and a swish of her tail, she was gone.

"Jay came into my den earlier," Cinderpelt meowed, not wasting a moment, her voice was high pitched from intense emotion. "He was asking to be a medicine ca-"

"He what!?" Firestar felt shock pulsing through his whiskers to the tip of his bristling tail, "why did he do that?"

"If you let me finish talking maybe I'll tell you," an exasperated sigh escaped her mouth, and the ginger leader nodded hesitantly, allowing his hackles down slowly.

"He says he can't be a warrior," Cinderpelt paused for a moment, as if she wasn't allowed to say next the words on the tip of her tongue, "Because he's blind."

Firestar felt a bolt of powerful emotion thunder through his being, he couldn't name it, but it was similar to amazement as well as shock. He jaw opened, trying to make out words, but they were stuck in his throat like a stubborn piece of fresh-kill. _Jay? Blind?_ It felt impossible to believe, he remembered all too clearly those cold penetrating eyes that seemed to see through everything, including his soul.

But he also remembered the hesitant wobble in the gray tabby's step as he made his way up to Highrock, and the way Dove and Lion walked so close to him, occasionally tapping the tip of their tails to his flank or nudging his side.

Eventually, he just settled with the words, "I couldn't have guessed…"

The dark gray she-cat nodded in reluctant agreement, her tail swishing from left to right, but Firestar still saw the spark of tightly wound alarm in her eyes, it hadn't faded away in the slightest. There was more.

"What else?" He meowed softly, a bit terrified to hear her answer.

His medicine cat and friend sucked in a deep breath as if preparing herself, and met his emerald eyes with a troubled gaze. "I saw Yellowfang," She meowed quietly, "She told me a prophecy."

 _Today can't possibly get any more interesting._

Firestar gave Cinderpelt an encouraging nod for her to continue, although his own flesh crawled at the thought of a prophecy hanging over his head with everything else that was going on. Then he felt a fierce flash of passion. _Whatever happens, I will protect ThunderClan._

"She appeared as Jay and I were talking," Cinderpelt's voice grew steadier as she continued, and her deep blue gaze glimmered with something unreadable, " _After the sharp-eyed jay and the roaring lion, peace will come on a dove's gentle wing."_

Silence reigned for what felt like moons or a few heart-beats, Firestar felt a shiver pass through his spine. "What do you think it means?" _The sharp-eyed jay is undeniably Jay, and the roaring-lion is very obviously Lion, and the dove is clearly Dove._

Cinderpelt's tail curled around her paws in a thoughtful way, "Starclan knows what it means exactly," She meowed carefully, like she had planned these words, "But if after Lion and Jay peace will come, then it could mean they aren't going to be doing much good to ThunderClan."

The ginger tom felt his fur beginning to bristle again, "Do you think Dove will do good to ThunderClan then?"

The dark gray she-cat met his gaze calmly, they were still and clear like pools of water, "Yes."

Firestar breathed in deeply, unsheathing his claws and kneading the earth and snow under his paws. _Jay, he seems intelligent, and Lion seems like a powerful fighter. If they both really put their minds to it, I suppose they could really do serious harm to the Clan._

"What do you think I should do?" He meowed, letting his gaze travel to the cloudy sky.

"Allow Jay to act as a medicine cat," She meowed immediately, "Let me keep an eye on him."

Firestar felt a frown tugging at his lips, he didn't like the thought of a cat who could possibly ruin ThunderClan so close to his former apprentice, but as his mind circled through all of the possibilities, he realized that was probably the best thing he could do without arousing suspicion. "Okay" he meowed hesitantly.

 _I should talk to Graystripe about keeping a close eye on Dove and reporting to me. But what should I do about Lion?_

"Oh, Cinderpelt!" He gasped, "I just remembered, when I met the three of them at Tallpines they all smelled like ThunderClan, do you think that's important?"

Cinderpelt crinkled her nose slightly, but she didn't seemed alarmed or startled in the slightest, "Either they're secretly Thunderclan or they've been rolling around in our border, but all reason more to be cautious."

Firestar waited, but when she said nothing more, he nodded in acceptance. "Alright, thank you for telling me."

"You're welcome Firestar."

A moment later she was gone, dark gray swallowed up by the snow-covered under-growth, with the sound of her paw-steps fading away.

 _StarClan help me…_

 **I have never written Cinderpelt before, I hope I did okay. Please review!**


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